What makes you get out of bed in the morning? Is it the fear of losing your job if you don't go? Is it the fear that your bills won't get paid or that your electricity might be shut off if you don't drag yourself out of bed to face yet another day of drudgery?

Or do you wake up every morning raring to go? Excited to face a new day with anticipation of the good things you know are to come.

These days,most people fall into the first category, basically living a robotic existence; emotionless, just another face in the crowd. We, as a society have lost our motivation among other things. Life has become so hard, it's no surprise.

The truth is, if you weren't lucky enough to be born the child of Donald Trump or Bill Gates, chances are you will never see the success they have attained. People work most of their lives just to survive;some get lucky, others don't. We are a society of "I want it now or not it all". If we aren't successful in our business or personal dealings, we give up because it's too much work to make things right.

I know as well as anybody, how difficult it can be to get through the day when it seems like there is nothing to look forward to, nothing exciting in the future and no one close who seems like they care. I've been a nurse for years, I've got a degree in Psychology and a degree in Sociology and I've yet to be able to understand the basics of human thinking.

It's complicated; not just life itself but the way we tend to think about what part we actually play in this crazy world. and I believe that this is the key! I think sometimes we dig too deeply in order to find the meaning that we want to find. In turn, we become depressed and upset, feeling as if there really is no place for us.

The solution......don't try to figure it all out! Let things happen as they will and accept them for what they are. There's nothing you can do about something that has happened in the past....NOTHING....so why dwell on it? We can't change our mistakes but we can learn from them. So view past mistakes as lessons that you were meant to learn in order to be a better person today.

Change your way of thinking. I know, this is easier said than done and like any habit, breaking the chain of negative thinking will take time. Negativity draws negativity!! Plain and simple. You reap what you sow. So try this; When bad thoughts or feelings start to overtake you....just stop! Try to figure out why you are having these feelings. If they are toward a person, realize that these feelings won't make things better. The other person doesn't know that you are feeling this way and even if they did, would they care? Probably not.

Now instead, use the energy you are expending to worry or be upset on something productive, something that you enjoy. Take a walk, read a book, write about your feelings in your blog or journal. It always helps to put down in words how you are feeling. Writing releases frustration that we might not be able to express in other ways.

When you get up in the morning, if you feel like you just can't face another day of the same old thing....get up anyway, and do it with a smile on your face. Smiling when you don't feel like it will actually make you feel better. Think about how you feel when you frown...you can just feel you energy being drained. The same goes for a smile. Try it for a few minutes even though you think it's not going to work. Others might think you are crazy for smiling for no reason, but I bet you will make them smile too! And there you have it....instant good mood.

Another thing you can do to get yourself motivated, and this is one of my favorite things, is to be nice to people who are just downright mean and nasty. We all know people who are grouchy all the time and never have a good work to say about anything. Walk right up to these people, put on a big smile and ask them how they are doing. You are most likely going to get a nasty remark but keep smiling and respond with the nicest thing you can think of. I guarantee you, you will go away with a tickle in your stomach and a smile on  your face. Keep doing this every day and soon  you will see a change in how these people respond to you and you can be proud of yourself for helping to change and motivate them !

Finally, one of the most important things to remember is to not give up at anything you start. Always remember that anything worth having doesn't come easy. Try to see weeks, months or even years into the future and imagine what your life will be like if you don't quit. One huge motivation-stopper is looking back on things we have started but never finished and wondering what might have been. Don't let this happen to you.

Don't let anybody tell you something just isn't possible. Sure some things might not be probable.....but all things are possible!

If you keep a good attitude even in the worst of times, you will be able to handle most anything that comes your way. I realize it's not easy. But over the years I've learned that it works, and things do get better, sometimes better than you could ever imagine!